Drug Screening Facts

Written by Sierra Rein

Here are a few drug screening facts regarding the history of drug testing in the United States. The first screenings were performed in 1970 upon military forces in Vietnam in an attempt to curb drug abuse. This itself was brought about by an accident, revealing the fact that many sailors and servicemen were using hallucinogenic drugs.

The Federal Government began drug screening programs with all of its employees in 1986, and by 1994 all workers in industries regulated by the Fed were also tested regularly. By 1996, an estimated third of all applicants for for new U.S. jobs were screened for drugs, while the number of companies who performed these drugs rose by 277% after 10 years. While many states have laws prohibiting drug tests in the workplace, others have made it a common practice, especially in dangerous job environments.

Drug Screening Facts About "Passing" the Test

Every year, clinics and laboratories constantly get calls regarding how to flush the body's system of marijuana or some other drug before the afternoon's drug test. Some try to use detox drinks and hair follicle shampoos in an attempt to get rid of the telling metabolites in their system, or over hydrate the body to try and dilute the urine sample. Others bring in urine samples from a healthy individual and try to perform a substitution.

Drug screening facts show that most of the detox kits found online usually do not completely rid the body of metabolites. Most clinics and labs can usually tell if a urine sample has been deliberately diluted, and most screening facilities make sure that no bottles, baggies, or "counterfeit" urine can be brought into the clinic. There are also temperature testing procedures which can alert a technician if the sample is too cold to have just been produced!